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The Phillips Academy Girls Swimming and Diving team captured
their third consecutive New England Prep School championship
Saturday night at Deerfield Academy, coming from behind with
a record-breaking performance in the final relay to win by
a single point. Competing against 40 other schools in an all-day
interscholastic meet, Andover trailed Hopkins School, to whom
they had lost a dual meet four weeks ago, by five points entering
the day's final event. The two-time defending champions needed
a win in the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay, and the foursome of
Erika Roddy '07, Katie Faulkner '06, team captain Kate Page
'04, and Hee-Jin Chang '05, not only provided the victory
but did so in a time of 3:35.34, setting a new New England
Prep School record in the event. The team victory was forged
with strong swims from many of the team's members and once
again showed the squad's tremendous depth as well as talent.
Upper Hee-Jin Chang, who was named the Interscholastic meet's
outstanding swimmer in both 2002 and 2003, has been slowed
somewhat by injury during this season but came on strong Saturday.
Chang earned first place finishes in both the 100- and the
200-Yard Freestyle events, breaking her own New England prep
record in the 200 with a time of 1:51.03. [PHOTOS]
[TIMES-ANDOVER]
[TIMES - COMPLETE]
The Lady Blue rode the Big Yellow school Bus up to Exeter,
NH Wednesday for one of the greatest meets of all time, narrowly
edging the Red in 94-92 nail-biter. Both teams were neck-and-neck
from the beginning. Andover took first in the medley relay,
but Exeter took second and third. And so went the rest of
the meet...each event scoring nearly equal points for each
team. A great surprise happened in diving when captain Jacqui
LeBoutillier '04 came in first by less than 1 point. From
then on, the Swimmin Women posted firsts in the 100 free,
500 free and 200 free relay. Some second and third place finishes
toward the end of the meet sent the score to 88-84 in favor
of Andover before the final relay, Seeing that the Lady Blue
only needed 6 points to win the day, coach Murphy "split"
the final relay so as to secure a second (4pts) and third
(2pts). As it turned out, the Exeter team set a new Andover-Exeter
record in the 400 Free Relay and Andover would have come in
second, even with their top team. So the Swimmin Women finish
the regular season with only one loss to Hopkins and are ready
to take on the other 25 teams at the New England Championships
on March 6. But that's down the road; today was a great day!
[TIMES] [PHOTOS]
The Big Blue girls varsity swim team was back on top of the
wave this week with two decisive wins over Williston-Northampton
and Convent of the Sacred Heart. In an exciting tri-meet held
in Easthampton, MA, the Swimmin Women, many of them decked
out in their newest HOTpink "Lady Blue" t-shirts,
swam well despite a tough week of grueling end-of-season sets.
One highlight was Hee-Jin Chang's new pool record in the 100
fly. The medley relay team from Andover also tied the pool
record. The girls are all set to travel north this Wednesday
to take on a significantly improved Exeter team. A long season
of hard work will undoubtedly take them far in their last
dual meet ("Duel Meet!") of the season ...and then
on to the New England Championships on March 6 at Deerfield.
Stay tuned right here for highlights to come! [TIMES]
[TIMES]
The girls varsity swim team lost Saturday for the first time
since February 2002 to a very strong and motivated team from
Hopkins. Hopkins, after finishing second last March behind
#1 Andover in the New Englands, was gunning for PA from the
start of their season, and the Hill Toppers came out to win
today. Despite many season best times from the Andover swimmers,
Hopkins was on fire from the first race, and they never looked
back. The Andover team is proud of the competition today.
They swam and dove the best they could do. Now, the team has
its sights firmly set on the Exeter meet and on the New England
Championships in March. This year is proving to be a great
season for many teams, and the race to the finish looks to
be very tight indeed! March 6 looms!
The Big Blue Wave came crashing down on the Big Green in Deerfield
this afternoon as the Swimmin Women brought their unbeaten
streak to 4 wins this season. The 110-76 win was also Coach
Murphy's 100th career win. Some big swims happened in the
200 IM and and 500 when Lower Katie Faulkner came in second
in both events. She was also instrumental in the 200 Free
Relay win. Alyssa Hill '06 has also shown some promise as
her times have continued to drop all season. Her 2:29.81 and
1:17.87 in the 200 IM and 100 Breast represent personal bests
for Alyssa. Katie and Alyssa are also roommates! The girls
have some of their toughest competition still ahead with Hopkins
next Saturday and Exeter at the end of February. Time will
tell if these girls have what it takes to three-peat at the
New England Championships in March. [TIMES]
The Swimmin Women continued their unbeaten streak today as
they hog-tied the Northfield-Mt. Hermon Hoggers 107 to 79.
Braced for the fast times of Tina Ertel '05, New England's
newest phenom at NMH, Andover stepped up race after race.
The highlights include a blinding 1-2-3 finish in the 500
freestyle with Katie Faulkner '06 leading the pack and Liz
Slaughter '06 and Carly Villareal '07 close behind. A disappointing
second place in the 200 free relay lit a fire under the Girls
of Blue, and they rose to the occasion in the 400 free relay
with a gut-wrenching time of 3:40.91 to NMH's 3:41.07. As
the relay team of Roddy '07, Page '04, Brenner '06 and Chang
'05 would say, it's all a matter of TIME! Next week, the Big
Blue hits the road (Route 2 to be specific) to take on Deerfied.
[TIMES]
The Big Blue was just too much for the Pelicans from Loomis
as the Swimmin' Women of Andover continued their unbeaten
streak in a home meet on Saturday. Placing first in 10 of
12 events, the girls in Blue showed their star power while
also showing their depth by earning many second- and third-place
finishes. Some highlights of the meet include:a 1, 2, 3 finish
in the 100 Free by Erika Roddy '07, Laura Benca '05 and Emily
Brenner '06 and a new pre-diving cheer by the swimmers which
proved to SEAL their victory! The Big Blue will take on NMH
next Saturday in Andover at 3PM (note change in time.) [TIMES]
The Swimmin Women began their MARCH to March with a decisive
win over Choate today. Challenged by the departure of half
the team to graduation in June 2003, the defending New England
champions welcome many newcomers to the squad this season.
Of note in the "freshman class" of 2004 is Erika
Roddy '07 who swam her personal best by 1 second in the 50
free and who provided great speed in the 200 and 400 free
relays, as well. Other members of the class of 2007 are Rachel
Reinauer, Carly Villareal and Kelly Chang. New lowers Parla
Alpan, Eliza Burns and Liz Slaughter join the strong ranks
of returners Emily Brenner (free and fly), Katie Faulkner
(distance and IM), Liz Finnegan and Alyssa Hill (free and
breast). The salwart upper class of Alex Doty, Mary Burris,
Hee-Jin Chang (who is looking great after ACL surgery this
summer), Liz Demers, Debby Kuhn is joined by Laura Benca (free).
Finally, the great class of '04 with captain Kate Page, Kristina
Chang, April Franz, Heidi Adlman and Jacqui LeBoutillier will
lead this group well during the season. [TIMES]
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